Swinging chair



R. ADOLF swINGING CHAIR July 25, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 18, 1965 INVENTOR, /if @www July 25, 1967 R. ADOLF 3,332,7l8

l swINGING CHAIR Filed June 18, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent O 3,332,718 SWINGING CHAIR Reinhold Adolf, 11 Worndlestrasse, Innsbruck, Austria Filed .lune 18, 1965, Ser. No. 464,898 Claims priority, application Austria, June 23, 1964, A 5,370/64 6 Claims. (Cl. 297-288) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Spring-base chairs that eliminate undesirable slope to the seat surface when occupied and maintain a favorable seat posture through all degrees of loading of the seat are constructed with a spring foot part in the shape of a horizontal V forwardly open and a seat part xed to the front upper end of the foot part with a portion of the seat part bearing upon the upper surface of the foot part in a manner that such bearing moves rearwardly along the foot part as loading upon the seat part is increased.

In swinging chairs of the known type the spring suspension is obtained by means of tubes, tubular members or Iflat-bar steel bands. A drawback is that the spring suspension works at a point of rotation dependent from the construction, so that the seat, when occupied, has not the same slope as the non-occupied seat. A rearward slope is particularly disagreeable if the sitter wants to help himself to-meals or drinks disposed on a table before him. The sitter would have to lean with his entire weight on the fore edge of the chair in a most uncomfortable position.

The present invention eliminates this inconvenience in that the seat part consists of two flat portions forming an angle and destined respectively to receive the seat and to secure the 'back of the chair, whereby the free end of the seat part at portion is secured by screwing, riveting, welding or other means to the substantially straight-lined upper portion of the foot part. In this construction the slope occasioned by the antagonistically rotating spring members is compensated and the sitter is able to assume a favorable position and to fully enjoy the elasticity of the swinging chair.

When the seat is occupied, the foot part upper portion is urged downwardly and the seat part is bent against the foot part. A most `favorable slope is obtained by suitably dimensioning the spring steel cross-section or by giving the seat part and the foot part different spring power.

The same comfortable position is also eifective by swinging and rocking movement and affords for the sitter a pleasant relaxing sensation.

The seat part and the foot part may advantageously be separate spring members. For example the foot part itself may consist of two parts, one of which is resting on the ground while the other connects said part to the seat part, whereby the connecting member may have a shape comprising angles of curvature like the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, or the same may be S-shaped, the portion adjacent to the foot part and the portion adjacent to the seat part being in this case identically shaped.

The fact that the foot part and the seat part are mechanically independent does not affect the functioning; they are connected to one another by screwing, riveting or welding along the line of Contact existing when the seat is free of load.

The provision of separate spring members is propitious to the manufacture. Moreover, it permits the use of differently cross-sectioned material in view of obtaining the maximum slope compensation.

3,332,7l8 Patented `lilly 25, 1967 A specially advantageous embodiment of the swinging chair according to the invention will be realised if the ilat portions destined respectively to receive the seat and to secure the .back of the chair consist of two components displaceable in opposite direction, whereby the position of said at portions with respect to each other can be adjusted by means of a toothed segment or any similar device. In this case, a frame is provided whose fore edge rests on the seat part flat portion, the rear edge being displaceably linked to same flat portion by -means of a hinge. Further, a foot part frame, capable of being forwardly swung out and provided with a leg, may be swingably linked to the seat frame, thus producing a -sort of reclining chair, the `back of the chair being suitably bent, enabling the user to lie on his back.

Various embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematical view of the basic structure of the chair according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the chair being supposed to be free of load;

FIG. 3 shows the same embodiment, the chair being supposed to be occupied;

FIG. 4 shows a detail of the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3.

In the embodiment ill-ustrated in FIG. 1 a foot part 1, 5 rests on the ground with its points of support 2, 3. Said foot part is bent from the ground between the points of support, the greatest distance 10 from the ground being situated in the middle between the points of support. The upward bend increases the spring action of foot part 1, 5.

Said foot part 1, 5 has the shape of a V lying down, whereby according to the invention the curvature is in decrease from the reversing point 4 and goes over into an entirely straight zone 6 on which is fixed the seat part 7, 8 by means of screwing 9.

In the embodiment the seat part 7, 8 is made of ilat bar spring steel. The desired form of chair determines the angle formed by the at portion 7 destined to receive the seat and the flat portion 8 destined to secure the back of the chair.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2-4 the frame 7, 8 consists of two separate flat springs 7 and 8 adjustable at every desired angle by means of a toothed segment 12. A padding 21-not shown in the first embodiment-is disposed on a foot part frame 15. Latter is capable of being forwardly swung about the axle 18 in a shplate 16 rigidly connected to the seat frame 13 beneath. Said foot part frame 15 is swung out and is supported by a leg 19 linked to the foot part frame 15.

The seat frame 13 slidably rests with a roller 14 on the flat portion 7 to which its rear portion is linked over a hinge 11. Thus the seat frame 13` easily adapts to any position of the spring members and allows within certain limits a to-and-fro sliding movement in horizontal direction.

It will be advantageous to provide between the seat frame 13 and the foot part frame 15 a padding 20 the thickness of which is delned by the space between both frames. For swinging up the frame 15 forwardly the back cushion 22 as well as the seat cushion 21 must necessarily be removed.

The displacement of the outmost edge of the seat frame 15 when swung out is indicated by a dash-line 23 in FIG. 3.

The dotted lines 24 in FIG. 3 indicate the finished piece of furniture comprising side parts; the dash-lines 25 indicate the range of displacement of the back-rest.

It will be suitable to provide the swinging chair according to the invention with laterally disposed supports, each of which applies to a foot part and a seat part. A

construction is however possible comprising one single support disposed in the middle of the chair. For sofa seats a plurality of supports may be provided.

The swinging chair according lto the invention enables to-and-fro rocking as well as vertical swinging as indicated by the arrows I and 1I in FIG. 3. Latter movement specially when the user is seated on or near the fore edge of the seat.

The embodiments described in the foregoing show possible realisations of the invention. It is understood, however, that the invention should not be limited otherwise than by the appended claims. For example, as a variation, plywood or plastic material, or plastics combined with spring steel, may be used in lieu of spring steel without parting with the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A swinging :chair comprising a seat part, a foot part and a back-rest secured to said seat part, said foot part comprising a spring -metal portion having a shape resembling a laid down V forwardly open, said seat part comprising a flat spring portion superposing the upper surface of said spring metal portion, the forward end of said dat spring portion being xed to the top front section of said spring metal portion in a springy connection with a rearwardly opening acute angle between said portions, said seat part comprising a seat frame whose fore edge rests with a roller on the upper surface of said flat spring portion, the rear end of said seat frame being linked over a hinge carried by said ilat spring portion.

2. Swinging chair as defined in claim 1, comprising a foot frame resting on the seat frame with which it is swingably connected.

3. Swinging chair as dened in claim 2, comprising an upright shplate rigidly connected to the seat frame, the foot frame being swingable about an axle of said lishplate, further comprising a leg swingably mounted at the opposite side of the foot frame, said leg being a resting member on the ground when swung out.

4. Swinging chair as dened in claim 3 comprising a padding disposed in swung out position on the upper face of the foot frame and lying in folded state between the seat frame and the foot frame.

5. A spring-base chair comprising a seat part, a foot part, said foot part comprising a spring portion formed with upper and lower legs in a shape resembling a laid down V forwardly open, said seat part comprising a ilat spring Imember superposing the upper leg of said spring portion, the forward end of said flat spring member `being Xed to the lforward part of said upper leg in a springy connection with a rearwardly opening acute angle between the flat spring portion and the upper leg, a portion of said seat part bearing upon the upper surface of said upper leg in such manner that the portion of said flat spring member in contact with said upper leg increases as the load placed upon said seat part is increased and a Iback-rest secured to said seat part.

6. A spring-base chair as claimed in claim 5 in which the Seat part and foot part are made of spring steel and wherein the upper leg of said foot part comprises a substantially straight-line forward portion and the reversing point is bent 'back to form the lower leg after a steady decreasing radius, the lower leg of the foot part forming an arch with reference to the ground, the maximum space from the ground being situated approximately in the middle of said lower leg.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,978,024 10'/ 1934 Lorenz 297-288 1,979,073 IO/ 1934 Larsen 297-294 2,567,418 9/1951 Barker 297-288 2,658,555 11/1953 Barker 297-288 2,699,200 1/ 1955 Lingle 297-294 DAVID I. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner. FRANK B. SHERRY, Examiner.

G. O. FINCH, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SWINGING CHAIR COMPRISING A SEAT PART, A FOOT PART AND A BACK-REST SECURED TO SAID SEAT PART, SAID FOOT PART COMPRISING A SPRING METAL PORTION HAVING A SHAPE RESEMBLING A LAID DOWN V FORWARDLY OPEN, SAID SEAT PART COMPRISING A FLAT SPRING PORTION SUPERPOSING THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID SPRING METAL PORTION, THE FORWARD END OF SAID FLAT SPRING PORTION BEING FIXED TO THE TOP FRONT SECTION OF SAID SPRING METAL PORTION IN A SPRINGY CONNECTION WITH A REARWARDLY OPENING ACUTE ANGLE BETWEEN SAID PORTIONS, SAID SEAT PART COMPRISING A SEAT FRAME WHOSE FORE EDGE RESTS WITH A ROLLER ON THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID FLAT SPRING PORTION, THE REAR END OF SAID SEAT FRAME BEING LINKED OVER A HINGE CARRIED BY SAID FLAT SPRING PORTION. 